Box-making machine



R. G. INWOOD, DECD. M. c. INwoon, ADMINISIIIAIRIX.

BOX MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. Io. 1918.

1,371,487. Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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. iNWOfm. DEQD,

M. C. INWOOD. #.fW/'KsSJRDi Box MAKING MACHiNE.

APPLICATIUH FILED IAN. 10. HVL

1,371,487. Patme Mar, QZL

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- MMT 1'? nier-rane e. rnvvoon, nnonasnn, para on son'rn BEND, immane., er can@ rnvvoon, ADMINISTRATRIX, or serrare Benn, iraniana, assreiron' ro BOUNDSPATENTS CMPAN, 0F KETTE-RY,

MAINE, .A CORPRATIN E Wel-WTE een-tamente necesitan.

nemesi.

Specicetion of Letters Eatent.

Patenten is, leer.

Application :flied Eanuary l0, wie. Serial ille. llll.

To all whom t ma concern.'

Be it known that ICHARD G. lNWoon, deceased, late a citizen of the United States, and resident of South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of indiana, has invented an improvement in Box-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to the class ci machines used in making wirebound boxes, box blanks or parts, and the purpose thereof is to provide a machine which will position box fastenings as desired. F or example, in manufacturing wirebound box blanks it is desirable to space the staples which secure the wire to the side material and cleats so as to avoid driving staples between the several sections oi' a blank and between succeeding blanks, and also to place the staples in a predetermined relation to the edges of each section. v

rlhe invention will be best understood by reference to the following description of one illustrative embodiment thereof, taken in connection with 'the accompanying drawin s, wherein igure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a machine embodying the invention;

F ig. l is a section on line la-l oi F ig. l;

Fig. 2 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in section, the operating parts lleing in a phase di'erent from that of lglig.' 3 is an end elevation seen from the left of Fig. l;

Fig. l is an elevation of a part of the conveyer chain, the supporting guide appearin in section; Y fig. 5 is a plan of part of the yconveyer chain;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6--6 of lF ig. d;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one end of the pawl positioning link;

Fig. 8 1s an end elevation thereof;

F ig. 9 is a view in plan showing a portion of the ratchet wheel and the levers. and link which coperate therewith; and

Fig. l() is a section on line 1 0-.10 oit' eferring to Figs. 1 and 3, an embodiment of the invention is illustrated as applied to a wirebound box-blank machine of known type, and embodying the stapler head 3 reciprocated by any suitable means, such as the pitman and eccentric 5, and carrving Staplers, shown diagrammatically in 1g. 3 and indicated by the reference numeral 7, for operating upon box material which is fed beneath the stapler head bv suitable carrier mechanism. This carriei1 mechanism in the present instance comprises suitable carrier chains 9, two or more of whichA are provided, and which are trained over the sheaves'll. These sheaves are preferably adjustable to vary the distance between them, so as to accommodate different sizes of blanks, and the carrier chains are made channel shaped, as seen in lli-gs. 3 and la, to accommodate box cleats in the well known manner. lbutments 13 may be provided between the chains to clench J*he staples which secure wires to the side material between the lateral cleats.

rlhe sheaves are given step-by-step lmovement alternating with the reciprocations of the stapler head 3 to eed the conveyer chain and with it the blanll: material.

.ln the present application, is shown snit gripping device may be utilized and reference herein toa ratchet wheel and paivl is in Van exemplary sense. The pawl i9 is carried between two levers 2l and 23, piroted at the axis of ratchet wheel 1'? at the outside and inside thereoii respectively. To impart a driving stroke to the pawl, an actuating lever 25 is provided, pivoted at the axis of wheel 17 and connected to the eccentric 27 on the main driving shaft, which will give the same an oscillating or reciprocatory motion. @ne end of lever 25 extends partially beyond the axis, and is provided with a lug 29 which is arranged to with the pin 31 on the pawl-carrying lever that the actuating lever 25 and the' carrying lever are connected by a rule joint, that is, a joint which may be broken in but one direction.

In Fig. 2 are shown the parts as they would be with the eccentric 'at one extreme of its throw and the actuating lever carried to the limit of its driving stroke, carrying with it the pawl-carrying leverand advancing vthe wheel. On the return stroke, the spring 33, attached to lever 21 and to any suitable point on the frame of the machine, will normally maintain the pin 31 in contact With lug 29, and the pawl carrying member will be carried back as far as the actuating lever 25. rlhe rule joint provided by the parts 29 and 31, however, adords opportunity for lost motion between the two levers, and if the lever 21 is checked in its rearward movement against the force of the spring, the lever 25 will move to the end of its stroke alone, as shown in Fig. 1. and on its return will pick u as it were, the lever 21 at an intermedlate oint in the stroke, and the working or drivlng stroke of the pawl-carrying memberwill be corre spondingly shorter. l

' Suitable means are provided for limiting the return movement of the pawl-carrying lever2l to regulate the amount of its working stroke. ln the present instance, a plu rality of stop members are provided which are arranged for a successive presentation correlated with the movement of the conveyer means, and suitable means are provided coperating with such stop members to render them effective to check the back movement of the pawl-carrying lever 21. ln the embodiment of the invention here shown, the stop members are associated with the conveyer itself and successively brought forward by it in its movement. For this purpose, the conveyer chains may be constructed as shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. s there shown, each link of the chain 9 'is of channel construction, supported on the channeled guide 35 which forms part of the frame of the machine. Suitable spacing blocks 37 are used to properly position the cleats of the. box blank in the channels in the manner well understood. One flange of the channel, herein the outer flange, may be provided with a reinforcing rim or .flange 39 in which are formed; holes 41, which afford means for selective positioning of stop members 43. The st op members may be screws adapted to be tapped into the holes 41. Connected to the pawl-carrying lever 21 is -a link 45, having at its other end a head 47 adapted to contact with the screws or stops 43 on the conveyer chain. Referring particularly to Fig. 2, it will be' understood that when the pawl level 21 is released from the driving action of the actuating'lever 25 and moves backward therewith under the nenes? influence of the spring 33, the head 47 may come in contact with a stop pin'43 dn the conveyer chain, and that the movement of the ,lever 21 Will thereby be checked, the rule joint at 29-31 be broken, and lost motion between the fixed throw actuating lever 25 and the pawl lever be provided for.

,The next feeding movement imparted to the ratchet wheel will, therefore, be correspondingly shorter than that which would be effected by the full stroke of the eccentric 27.

The head 47 of link 45 is provided with the beveled extension 49 adapted to coperate with the beveled face 51 of a block 53, secured in an suitable manner to the frame of the machine. A spring-pressed keeper 55 is provided to hold the link 45 down to the block 53. Referring to Fig. 1, as the lever moves to the left in its stroke, it is apparent that the face 49 will ride up the face 51 against the force of spring 55, lifting the head 47 to the top of block 53 and disengaging it from the stop 43, while the conveyer continues to move forward to the full extent imparted by the pawl-carrying lever 2l to the position shown in Fig. 2. @n the return stroke, the link 45 will be carried to the right with the paWl-carrying lever, and the head will drop down from the block into position to engage another stop on the conveyer chain. It will be obvious that, by a suitable spacing of the stop pins on the chains, a series of steps, each of any desired length within the maximumprovided for by the throw of the actuatingflever 25, may be effected.

ln the specific machine illustrated herein, the links .of the conveyer chain are of considerable length, and to suit this arrangement the sheaves 11 are made in polygonal form with their sides appropriately proportioned to the chain 'links As the sheaves turn and feed the conveyer chain, it is evident that the effective crank arm of the sheave acting on the chain varies according stands uppermost. Since the specific staple.

placing mechanism shown in the drawings operates under the control of stops on the chain, it is apparent thatthese variations in chain speed might well produce some slight variations in staple placing, and while these variations, in many cases, would be neglig't Lernen? ble, the present apparatus embodies means approximately to compensate for such variations.

The illustrative compensating mechanism is shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, 9 and 10. The link 45 has at its left-hand end a pin 57, having a head 59, sliding in longitudinal guidevvays 6l on the lever 23, so that the point of connection between the link 45, and the lever 23 which reciprocates it, can be moved to difierent radial distances from the axis of movement of the lever .Q3-in other Words, so that the lever arm by Which the link 45 is reciprocated may be varied in length. To produce this variation in length of lever arm. the link 45 is provided with a roller 63 (see Fig. l0) which is arranged to ride on the flanges 39 of the links of chain 13, as shoivn in Fig. 3. In the rotation of the polygonal sheave, as one of the vertices of the polygon approaches its uppermost position. the chain is thereby lifted and correspondingly lifts the roller 63 and the link 45. T he spring 55 serves to hold down the right-hand end of the link 45 so that in the described liftingmovement, it fulcrums on the block 53. rl`hus the lifting of the roll 63 slides the head 59 outwardly in the guide 61 and thereby increases the length of the lever arm (of the lever 23) by which the link 45 is reciprocated. rThe operation just described Atakes place during a contraclockvvise movement of the lever 23, so that when the lever comes to rest. leaving the polygonal sheave at rest with one of its vertices uppermost, or approximately uppermost, the lever arm, eiective to return the Ylink 45 toward the right in Fig. 2, has been elongated slightly. Therefore, a greater extent ot movement toward the rightl is effected, and this tends to compensate more or less for the fact that the immediately preceding feed step ot the conveyer has advanced the stop 43 slightly more than the normal feed step.

TWhere the variations in staple placing occasioned by the polygonal form of the sheaves are considered negligible` it is unnecessary to provide the adjustable connec.

tion of the link 45 to the lever 23 through the pin 57 and head 59: and the tivo may be connected simply by a fixed pivot or in any suitable manner as Will appear to those skilled in the art.

`While in considerable detail the embodiment ot this invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings,` and the various mechanisms utilized in the machine shown have been fully described` it will be understood that this has been done witha descriptive rather than with a defining intent` in order that the operation of the embodiment chosen as an example of the invention might be more quickly comprehended, and not because the exact mechanisms shown are essen-' tial.

Having described the invention, what is claimed isl. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a conveyer for the -box materials, means for intermittently advancing the same comprisinga ratchet Whe-el, a pawl-carrying member, an actuating lever and means for oscillating the same, said lever having driving engagement with said member on movement in one direction and provision for lost motion relatively thereto on movement in the other direction, the stop members arranged tor a. successive presentation correlated with the movement of said conveyer to check movement of said paal carrying member in said other direction.

2. machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a conveyer for the box materials, means `for intermittently advancing the same comprising a ratchet Wheel, a paWl-carrying lever and an actuating lever and means for oscillating the latter. means connecting said levers to permit the latter to drive the former embodying a rulelike joint breakalole in but one direction. means for normally maintaining 'said ioin't unbroken, and means including step mehr 'bers arranged for a successive presentation correlated with the movement ot said conveyer for breaking said joint to permit lost motion between said levers whereby the feed of the ratchet is varied.

3. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination. a conveyer 1for the box materials, means for intermittently advancing the same comprising a ratchet `Wheel. an actuating lever and a pavvl-car-v rying lever pivoted concentric with said wheel, a lug on the latter and an extension on the Jformer engaging the lug at the rear side thereof, a spring, to hold said lug in contact with said extension, stop members arranged for a successive presentation correlated vvith the movement of said conveyer and means cooperating with said stop members for checking said paWl-carrying member in its rearward movement.

4. si machine ot the class described comprising, in combination, an endless conveyer for the box materials, polygonal sheaves carrying the same and driving means including an oscillating driving member having means for applying torce to rotate the sheaves in one direction of movement, a xed throw actuating member therefor, there being provision tor lost motion between said actuating member and driving member whereby to vary the effective stroke of the latter, means on the conveyer for regulating said lost motion and means associated there- With for compensating for the irregular movement due to said sheaves.

5. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, an endless conveyer for the box materials, means for intermittently advancing said conveyer, mechanism 43, 45 regulating lthe action of said advancing means and a devicev 63 automatically modifying the effect of such mechanism in compensation for variations in transmission of movement from said advancing means to said conveyer. l I

6. A machine oi the class described comprising in combination, an `endless conveyor for the box materials, polygonal sheaves carrying the same, a ratchet on a sheave, a paWl-carrying lever, an actuating member therefor, there being provision for lostI motion between said actuating member and pawl-carryin lever, mechanism including a plurality o stop members arranged :tor a successive presentation correlated with the movement of said conveyer, link-work cooperating with said stops to check movement of said pawl-carrying lever with said actuating member and means governed by the edective crank arm length of said driving sheaves to modify the action ont such linkwork on said lever.

7. A'machine of the class described comprising, in combination, an endless' conveyor l for the box materials, polygonal sheaves carrying the same, a ratchet fon a sheave, a

ypawl-carrying lever, an actuating member therefor, there being provision for lost motion between said actuating member and pawl-carrying lever, mechanism including a plurality of stop. members arranged for a successive presentation correlated with the movement of saidconveyer, a link arranged to slide along said lever and cooperating with said stops to check movement thereof with said actuating member and means on saidl link bearing on the conveyor tor sliding the former on said lever as the conveyor tightens and slackens under action oi said sheave.

8. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, an endless conveyor for the box materials, polygonal sheaves carr ing the same, a ratchet on a sheave, a paw -carrying lever, an actuating member therefor, there being provision for lost motion, between said actuating member and pawl-carrying lever, stops on said conveyor, a'link sliding on said pawl-carrying lever and arranged to extend into the path ot said stops, an extension on said link bearing on said conveyor whereby to slide the link on said lever as the conveyer tightens and slackens. i Y

9. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a conveyer for box materials, stapling mechanism, means for intermittently advancing said conveyor to present portions of the box material to the stapling mechanism comprising a ratchet, a pawl-carrying lever, an actuatin lever, means tor oscillating the latter an a con-r nection between saidlevers to permit the name-er latter to drive the former embodying a rulelike joint breakable 4in but onev direction, means for normally maintaining said joint unbroken and means for breaking said oint at predetermined points in the travel of the actuating lever to give feeding movements of varied predetermined lengths to the box materials.

l0. A machine ci the class described comprising in combination, a stapler head and means for feeding blank materials step by step beneath the same including, in combination, an oscillating member adapted to impartmotion to the materials on movement in one direction, a fixed throw actuator, a connection between said member and actuator lembodying a rule-like joint breakable in but one direction, means tor maintaining said joint normally unbroken, stop members arranged :tor a successive presentation correlated withl feeding movement of the blank material and means `for rendering said members' e'ective ior breaking said joint to permit lost motion between said oscillating member and actuator.

ll. fr machine ot the class described comprising, in combination, a stapling mechanism and a work holder and means or moving one intermittently relatively to the other, said means comprising an oscillating member adapted to impart motion on movement in one direction, an actuator, a connection-between. said member and Vactuator embodying a rule-like joint `breakable in but one direction, means for maintaining said joint normally unbroken, and means rendered edective at times dependent on the relative positions ot said stapling mechanism and work holder for breaking said. joint to permit lost motion between said oscillating member and actuator.

l2. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a stapler headand means for feeding blank materials step by step beneath the same including, in combination, an oscillating member adapted to impart motion to the materials on move'- ment in one direction, a xed throw edtnator, a connection between said member and Muator embodying a rule-like `joint breakable in but one direction, means -or maintaining said joint normally unbroken, vand means rendered edective at times depend-l entf yo n the position of said blank materials relatlve to the stapler for breaking said 'joint to permit lost motion between said oscillating member and actuator.

13. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, tastenersettin mechanism; work-supporting means; and means to Vcause relative progression between work and iastener-settin mechanism in controlled intervals to position fasteners as desired, including a set or" controlling members acting successively in correlation with llO Levine? the progression, and means modifying the controlling e'ect of said'members to compensate forcirregularity inl rate of progression.

let. A machine of the class describedf'comprising, in combination, fastener-setting mechanism; Work-supporting means; and means to cause relative progression between Work and fastener-settin mechanism in controlled intervals vto position fasteners as desired, 'including pattern means and cooperating'means to cause such intervals' of progression as determined by the pattern means, and means modifying the action of said pattern means to compensate for irregularity in .action-ofy the machine.

15. A machine of the lclass described, comprising, in combination, fastenerfsetting mechanism; Work-supporting means; and means to-,cause relative progression between Work and fastener-setting mechanism in controlled intervals to position fasteners as desired, including a set of controlling mem- Vsate for bers successively presented in correlation with. the progression, `means successively controlled thereby to impart motion, and means for modifying the control tocompensate for irregularity `of progression..

16. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, fastener-setting mechanism; work-supporting means; and means to cause relative progression between Work `and fastener-setting mechanism inl controlled intervalsto position fasteners as desired, comprising actuating and transmission means, a'set of controlling members successively presented in correlation With the progressionto control -intervals of progression, and means to. modify the control to compensate for irregularity of progression.

17. A machine of the' class described comprising, in combination, fastener-setting mechanism; Work-supporting means; and

.means to cause relative progression between Work and fastener-setting mechanism Ain controlled intervals to position fasteners as desired, comprising actuating and trans- .mission means, means for controlling the transmission means in accordance with the progression, and means for' modifying the edect of the latter to compensate for irregularity of progression.

18. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, means for moving the Work, fastenerLsetting mechanism, means for controllably positioning fasteners on the work successively controlled by positions of the latter relative to the fastenersetting mechanism, and means for modifying the action of said last-'named means to compenirregularity in the movement of the Work. y ,y

. 19.' A machine of the class described com- 'f prising, in combination, means for moving the Work, fastener-setting mechanism, and means for controllably positioning fasteners on the Work including controlling members moving in unison With the Work and means to correct their control to compensate for irregularity of movement.

20,. A machine of the class described com- V. prising, in combination, fastener-setting mechanism, Worlvsupporting means, and

feed-mechanism to cause relative movements between the Work and fastener-setting mechanism, said feed mechanism comprising controlling members successively presented in correlation with feed movements, means successively controlled thereby for imparting feed movements, and correcting means to fecting a' desired position of fasteners on the Work; and means modifying the action of said last named means to compensate for irregularities of feed.

'22. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, mechanism to secure binding Wire to box materials, a stepby-step fed conveyer` for said materials; and

conveyer-controlled means, including correcting means to compensate for irregular movement of the conveyer, regulating the feed for eilecting a desired disposition of fasteners on the Work.

A machineof the class described comprisi'ng, in combination, drivensmeans for moving the Work; means to secure binding wire to the Work; means for operating said driven means including a set of successively presented controlling members and means for modifying the action of the latter to compensate for irregularities of movement` 24. vA box blank machine comprising, in combination, coperating blank feeding and binding Wire applying mechanism construct-- ed and arranged to provide-a continuously operating organization for Wiring successive blanks; said. organization including automatic means controlling the feed for con-V trollably locating individual fasteners of the respective blanlrs, and automatic correcting means therefor.

2,5.,rll`hel combination of fastener-setting mechanism; Work-supporting means; and means for relatively moving Work and fastener-setting mechanism comprising a' ratchet Wheel'and paWl-carrying member; an yactuating lever having driving engagement with said member on movement in one direction and arranged for lost motion relatively thereto on movement in the other direction; and stop members successively presented in correlation with relative move# ments to check movement of said pawl-carrying member in said other direction.

26. In a machine of the class described the combination with fastener-setting mechanism of means to cause step-by-step movements between said mechanism and the Work, comprising a ratchet Wheel and a pawl-carrying lever; an actuating lever having a joint with said pawl-carryin lever breakable in but one direction; an automatic means controlling the breaking of said `oint. J '27. In a machine of the class described the combination with fastener-setting mechanism of means to cause step-by-step movements between said mechanism and the work, comprising a ratchet wheel and a. pawl-carrying lever; an actuating lever having a 'joint with said awl-carrying lever breakable in but one cirection; and stop members successivelyl presented in correlation with step movements to limit movement of the pawl-carrying lever in the direction in 'which the joint is capable of breaking.

28. The combination of fastener-setting mechanism; work-supporting means; a ratchet feed mechanism including a pawlcarrying lever; an actuating lever ladapted durinl different phases of its movement in one direction to engage and move thepawlcarrying lever; a spring for returning said pawl-carrying lever; and automatic means or determining the period of engagement of'said actuating lever with the pawl-carrying lever.

29. A machine for use in making boxes comprising, in combination, a work support; fastener-settingl mechanism; means to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the work, including controlling means to locate fasteners at selected points in the Work; and automatic correcting means for said controlling means.

30. A machine for use in making boxes comprising, in combination, a work support; fastener-setting mechanism; means to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the work, including controlling means to locate fasteners at selected points in the work and means to render said controlling means effective to locate fasteners at the selected points regardless of irregularity of progression. .c .31.v A machine for use in making boxes comprising, in combination, a Work support; fastener-setting mechanism; means to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the work; means to control said relative progression-to Vlocate said fasteners at desired points inthe work; and means to render said controlling means effective regardless of irregularity of progression.

32, A machine for use in making. wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, mea'ns including fastener-setting mechanism for applying binding wire to box parts; means to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the work; means automatically controlling the progression to locateindividual fasteners; and a correcting device for said last named means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

MARY GAIN INWUOD, Administratrice of Richard G. Inwood, de-

ceased l 

